Spring has sprung, the grass has riz

[Marie Hass]

For your review and critique.

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Just some eye candy.

Marie

[bje07]

Nice series

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Marie,

My first thoughts when viewing most of these were almost all to do with framing/composition and/or subject prominence vs distractions, in other respects the processing is fine - e.g. colour, WB, exposure.

The framing of some lead me to believe you are perhaps experimenting with negative space in this series, so please take my comments as just one person's point of view, not criticism - just because I wouldn't frame them as you did doesn't mean I'm right.

#1: My eye is drawn to the odd highlights in the lower right corner, I'd perhaps 'burn' these a little more in PP, especially the elliptical one, although I might even consider cloning that one out.

#2: I'd lose a little off the bottom edge; cropping to half way up the figures "2017" in your watermark.

#3: The stuff in the lower right corner is brighter than the subject and equally sharp, so I'd definitely crop a significant chunk (say 25-30% image width) off the left had side, then blur and burn the remaining bits.

#4: I'd like to have not cropped the leaf that exits top of frame and comes back in, I might also have a bit more space (blank, out of focus) on the right hand side, by whatever means that takes.

#5: I'd have positioned the subject in the frame a little higher and somewhat more to the left. I might have tried to enhance the stem where it merges closer to the background tonality and colour.

#6: I like the concept and colours, although I had to look closely to figure out what I was looking at in the centre of the flower, but other than asking the insects to pose better, I'm not sure what the answer is. Feels just a tad cramped on the right hand and lower edges.

#7: I cannot decide whether to crop left or right on this, I'd probably lose everything to left of the vertical reddish stem. If possible, I'd also crop a tad across the lower edge, just removing to the top of watermark height.

#8: I'd lose a little off the left hand side (e.g. to remove "M" of Marie) and I'd carefully blur the sharp detail in the lower right corner. This one may be a tad over exposed?

#9: Again, I'd lose a little off the left hand side (e.g. to remove "M" of Marie) and I'd clone out the bright green Lichen spot on the twig top left.

I hope those thoughts are helpful and please don't feel you need to reprocess them all, just have a play with moving the LyteBox around the edges of your monitor screen to visualise the crops suggested.

On e 'trick' I use when processing is, after I think I have done everything, get the image full screen, shut my eyes, count to ten, open them and see where my eyes flit to around the composition, I find this helps me identify extraneous things that are not contributing to the main subject.

Then, if your personal PP ethics allow, reduce* or remove** anything that competes with the main subject.

* usually by toning down and/or blurring, but be subtle
** crop off or clone out

If you framed to avoid something intruding in to an edge of the edge of frame, consider expanding the canvas and cloning the out of focus background to fill it, to provide the ideal composition. If you do have the necessary image area (complete with the 'intrusion'), re-crop and just clone it out. Not everyone will agree with me and that's fine. You do what you feel is right for you.

You have been here long enough that I feel you probably didn't need me to be quite so explicit in my advice and reasoning, but I am mindful that others less experienced than yourself will read this thread and may benefit from the extra information.

All the best, Dave

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Stagecoach]

A refreshing series Marie, all fitting in well with the title.

The only one that concerns me is No 5 and I would have preferred to see at least one flower with the central part (purple?) in focus.

[Marie Hass]

Dear Dave,

Thanks for stopping by, and for your lengthy response. I implemented your suggestions and re-posted a few for your comment.

Hi Marie,

#1: My eye is drawn to the odd highlights in the lower right corner, I'd perhaps 'burn' these a little more in PP, especially the elliptical one, although I might even consider cloning that one out.

I ended up healing out the flower completely as no matter what I did, the highlights ended up with these odd rings in them.

#7: I cannot decide whether to crop left or right on this, I'd probably lose everything to left of the vertical reddish stem. If possible, I'd also crop a tad across the lower edge, just removing to the top of watermark height.

How about this?

#8: I'd lose a little off the left hand side (e.g. to remove "M" of Marie) and I'd carefully blur the sharp detail in the lower right corner. This one may be a tad over exposed?

So, on this one, I went back and reduced exposure rather than brightness. I recovered a bit more highlights. I also cropped per your suggestion.

I actually redid everything, but just enclosed a few for your comment.

Marie

[Marie Hass]

Hi, Grahame!

Thank you for your comment. I waffled between this one and another shot. Do you like this one better?



Marie

[Marie Hass]

Thank you for your comment, John.

How are you doing?

Marie

[Stagecoach]

Hi, Grahame!

Thank you for your comment. I waffled between this one and another shot. Do you like this one better?

Marie

Whilst you have achieved the focus on this one Marie I far prefer the original No 5 image due to the framing, orientation and 'space'.

But I have always had a strange preferences

Grahame

[bnnrcn]

Nice series Marie , #2 and #9 for me

[Dave Humphries]

Yes Marie,

Those 3 new versions work better for me.

Thanks, Dave

[zen]

Hi Marie,

I agree with Dave's suggestions for all but image #2, which in my opinion, is very nearly perfect. Cropping the bottom as Dave suggested will center the blossom, which I suspect was not your intent. The wider space on the bottom is an effective technique, which in this case, makes the image for me.

I love Dogwood, btw, and can't wait for ours to bloom here in Western New York. We have one medium tree in our back yard, which is among my favorite targets every year.

Your edits on the others are good, though, and DO improve the images.

Thanks for sharing, and hope to see more mountain flowers.

Zen